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Bring tomatoes for the tasting. Bring seeds to swap. Bring a dish to share if you feel like it. Bring beverages of your choice. I'll provide burgers (veggie and beef), buns, standard BBQ condiments, along with cutting boards and knives for the tomato tasting.

Technically, the picnic site is reserved from 10 am to 6 pm. I need to be there the whole time to ensure our reservation, so feel free to drop by early to hang out or help set up.

I've decided to cancel the event based on low anticipated turnout. I didn't want people to make the drive and then be disappointed. I've sent PM's to the few people who were able to commit, but anyone who was thinking of dropping by unannounced should hold off until (maybe) next year.

Sorry Nate i had an issue at work come up so i could not make it anyway. Thanks for all the effort. Hopefully next year.

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“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Although the event was cancelled, Virtex and his wife decided to come up anyway. We met at the picnic site, took a short hike, and then came back to my house to taste tomatoes and have lunch. He brought about 20 varieties, and I've got about that number growing here.

Standouts of his for me were Little Lucky (fantastically intense flavor) and Blush (a little less intense, but wonderful). Of mine that he hadn't tried, Sweet Ozark Orange (beautiful large orange slicer) and Ania (small and intense) seemed to win out.

The lunch obviously had to feature tomatoes, so we decided on bruschetta. Toasted Semifreddi's sour dough, Bozzano A2 olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh made mozzarella. Fantastic. If you haven't made mozzarella at home before, you should. It's delicious and easy: http://www.cheesemaking.com/howtomak...llacheese.html

Where are you growing tomatoes. Maybe postponing until September would work. Most of us will have better tomatoes then (in the Bay Area).

I'm in Orinda, which is just inland from Oakland and Berkeley. This worked out to be good timing for me, as just about all varieties I'm growing have something ripe, and none have finished for the season. There are so many microclimates around there that it's difficult to pick the right time. While I think a couple more weeks into August might be a better compromise, Virtex, who was coming up from San Jose, was already winding down with some varieties. In past years, even early September is pushing it for me.